The Mark of an Alpha

It has been a month since Marcus has been out of my life, a month where I been able to run free, and breathe easy but also a month of having to say goodbye to Hunter daily. He has his pack to take care of and I cannot bring myself to tear him away from them.

At the moment Andrew swings at my face as I pull myself back and give him a high kick to shoulder but he is quick as well. His hand grips my ankle and pushes it back making me unbalanced. I tumble back and land on my áss. I shake my head and growl.

“Get your head in the game, Mel!” Andrew smirks at me and I hear Angie cheer from behind me.

“Yay! Way to go Andrew.” I turn to look at Angie and I narrow my eyes.

Andrew and Angie have been becoming very close in the last few weeks and I start to feel as if I been replaced until I caught them making out. He says that they are both lonely without having their mates so they have a ‘friends with benefits’ thing going on. I try to ignore them but she is just so bubbly.

Angie looks away from me and acts as if something else has caught her attention.

“Let’s do this again!” I turn to look at Andrew and he shakes his head.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he scratches the back of his head and looks away trying to hide something from me.

“What is it?”

“Well...” He looks over at Angie and she gives him a facial expression as if to say spill it already. “The Moonlight Ball is this weekend and I-I mean we want to know if you’re planning on going.”

The Moonlight Ball is where all the alphas from around the world come and socialize with other pack’s alphas.

Usually, it is the Alpha, Beta, and Omega and their dates. It is a huge deal since the Alpha of Alpha’s is there as well. I have never had the chance to meet him and I do not want to.

“I haven’t even got the invitation,” I say confused.

“About that...I’ve been pushing it in your direction all week and you seem to ignore it.”

“Oh,” I shrug, “I don’t know I don’t feel like I want to be around all the alpha’s and snotty Luna’s that act like they can’t get any dirt under their nails,” I scrunch up my face.

“That may be true but you are an alpha and you need to make friends with them.” Andrew comes closer to me and I snarl at him. He smiles at me unsurely.

“It seems like more trouble than it is worth,” I start walking back to the house.

“You got two invitations...one from The Alpha himself.” My feet stop in their tracks and I turn to look at Andrew.

“What?” My face falls as the words sink in. “He...”

“He has never personally invited anyone. So that means you have to go.” Andrew smiles triumphantly as my jaw drops.

“You have got to be kidding me.” My head hangs low as I turn to walk back to the house.

Why the hell would he want to meet me?

You’re catching people’s eyes.

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Why? This is so not fair.

I did an alpha’s job and now I’m being punished.

Stop your whining...Hunter is probably going.

Funny you say that he hasn’t mentioned it at all.

I walk into my bedroom and I see the invitation on my dresser Andrew’s last-ditch effort for me to accept.

The white envelope is huge and it is sealed with the Alpha’s mark. His fangs and three scratch marks. It seems more like a threat than an invitation. I pull the paper apart and pull at the fine paper and unfold it.

Handwritten and everything.

My wolf nudges at me she wants to go as well. It reads:

Dear Alpha Blake,

I cordially invite you and your beta to the party of the decade, The Moonlight Ball. I have arranged for a driver to arrive at your house at seven promptly. If there be any tardiness he will wait for you as long as you need it. I am looking forward to meeting you in person.

Alpha of the Alpha’s

There is another paper in the pack instructing me about the formal wear and date is optional, not mandatory.

He is looking forward to meeting you.

I push my wolf to the side. My body feels stressed and I need some relief. I grab my jacket and zip it up and switch my shoes to my running ones. I grab my phone and earphones and plug them in.

Hunter’s favorite song starts playing in my ears, Green Eyes.

I run out of my room, down the hall, and out the door.

Andrew and Angie are having a discussion when I open up the door. They both look at me and I roll my eyes Andrew tries to talk to me but I point to my ears telling him I cannot hear and run off into the trees.

Melany!

I need some time alone.

Fine, but don’t get mad at me later.

In the last month, my wolf has gotten so much stronger but my human form has always been weak. Sure I could block attacks but when it came to stronger opponents I was a goner. My endurance has been weak so I have been working on all of my weaknesses.

At first, I was only able to run a mile but now I can run five or five and a half on a good day. My breathing is controlled by my wolf as she trains me. She deepens my breaths and exhales slowly. The songs start having a faster tempo making me run faster.

I decide that it is time to head back once I reach the cliffside.

The sun is setting behind the mountains making the sky a fiery orange color. I breathe in deeply as I rest for a moment and let the view take my breath away.

The colors mix beautifully as I take in the scenery. It is times like this that make the run worthwhile. All alone in nature, I can breathe freely without worrying about who's around.

I am at peace when suddenly there is a sharp pull at my core. I drop to my knees, the pain knocking the wind out of me, and remember that I need to relax my body but it is hard when the pain is deep inside of you.

I have only experienced a new wolf once a few weeks ago and I thought I was dying. At the moment I know that I have a new wolf in my pack.

Once their transformation is complete the pain subsides. I get to my feet.

Oh crap!

Andrew’s mind link fades out of my mind.

What the hell?

I run back to the packhouse as fast as my feet would carry me. I get to the packhouse in record time which is no surprise since the run back is mostly downhill.

Andrew is on the ground holding Angie. She is naked on the ground clinging onto Andrew for dear life.

“What happened?” I scream as the earphones are still in my ears I pull them out and Andrew looks dazed.

“She just shifted for the first time.” His eyes are on me but he is not looking at me. Panic fills them as he tries to make sense of what just happened.

“Is she okay?” I walk towards her and Andrew gets into a protective crouch and growls at me. His enraged eyes and bared teeth make my wolf snap at my core.

What the hell is his issue?

“Andrew!” I step away from him he has never growled at me before.

“Stay away from her,” he snarls.

“Andrew, do you know who you are talking to?” I snap at him.

“Stay away from my mate.” Andrew pulls Angie closer to him.

Oh crap.

A huge part of me is happy for him but he needs to know that he cannot just go growling and snarling at his alpha.

“Andrew, stop!” Andrew’s eyes fixate on me and they focus.

“Mel?” He sounds scared.

“It’s okay. Take her inside and look after her.” He nods and carries her into the house. The revving of a car makes me turn and see a black Cadillac with tinted windows pull up.

Now what?

I want to wrap my head around what just happened. My best friend has finally found his mate.